In 1994, during the Clinton administration, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act. That landmark legislation authorized funds for rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters, the establishment of a national hot line for victims, and measures such as education programs for judges, law enforcement officers and prosecutors.

The law remains critical in battling domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, of which women remain the overwhelming targets. In the past, Congress readily supported reauthorization of the act, and even expanded its scope to address the needs of disabled women, older women and teens.

But this year's reauthorization has been stalled over the U.S. Senate's effort to better protect Native Americans, undocumented immigrants and LGBT abuse victims. The Senate bill was passed with bipartisan support in April, but the House version, adopted in May, eliminated the additional protections at the insistence of the GOP's right wing.

It's simply indefensible to exclude victims because of their immigration status, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity. Under no circumstances should America become a place that tolerates women being raped or beaten unless they're heterosexual U.S. citizens, not of Native American heritage.

Undocumented women risk deportation if they report abuse, which their abusers exploit. Nonheterosexual women are often turned away from domestic violence shelters and denied orders of protection. And Native American women face higher rates of sexual assault, mostly at the hands of non-Indians.

Tribal courts have no authority to prosecute non-Indians. As a result, victims have few resources for protection, and abusers often are never held accountable. The Senate's bill grants limited jurisdiction -- a constitutional sticking point for many Republicans, such as Rep. James Sensenbrenner Jr. of Wisconsin, who noted that "the Bill of Rights does not apply in tribal courts." But a smart, new proposal offered by two Republicans, including Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, would give defendants the option to move the case to federal courts.

"There are 535 members of Congress, and 534 of them could go on the Sioux Reservation, commit a crime and not be subjected to local jurisdiction," Cole told Indian Country Today Media Network. "Most American communities have local jurisdiction; Native Americans do not. It's not right."

Nationally, an average of three women are murdered every day by a current or former partner. An estimated 2.3 people are raped or physically assaulted by someone they know. Besides the human toll, the health care, employment, legal and other costs are staggering.

The Violence Against Women Act has long enjoyed bipartisan support. Vice President Joe Biden, then a U.S. senator from Delaware, introduced the original bill, which garnered 225 cosponsors, including vocal support from Sen. Paul Wellstone, a Minnesota Democrat.

You'd think the GOP opposition would eagerly rally behind female crime victims, given the backlash faced from remarks that cost two Senate candidates their elections. In defending staunch opposition to abortion, Missouri Rep. Todd Akin spoke of "legitimate rape" and Indiana's Richard Mourdock insisted that pregnancies that result from rape were intended by God.

Lawmakers have had the common sense to put aside differences to back this act for the past 18 years. It's critical that they do so again before year's end so that the legislative process won't have to start all over again. Women's lives and safety are on the line.

Family Research Council: “Real abuse” is cost of VAWA to taxpayers
The social conservative group is opposed to the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act
By Jillian Rayfield
Wednesday, Feb 6, 2013 04:55 PM CST

The socially conservative Family Research Council asked supporters to help it oppose the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act because, the group says, the “real abuse” is how much it will waste taxpayer dollars.

In an email alert on Monday, the FRC decried the VAWA (“which, ironically, is supported by the same administration that wants to put women in front-line combat!”) as an “abuse of taxpayer dollars” that “does more to promote a radical agenda than it does to help women.”

The email quoted conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, who also opposes VAWA. “In its 17 years of operation,” Schlafly wrote on TownHall.com, VAWA “has done little or no good for real victims of domestic violence, while its funds have been used to fill feminist coffers and to lobby for feminist objectives and laws. Although every spending bill should be subject to rigorous auditing procedures in order to curb waste and fraud, VAWA has somehow ducked accountability for the [$660 million] a year it doles out to radical feminist organizations.”

From the email, via Right Wing Watch: “Among the bill’s most egregious parts is a provision that would ban funds to grantees who may have religious objections to homosexuality–even if no documented case of refused services has been found. It also includes special assistance for homosexual victims.”

“Although [Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.] promises to have a 60-vote block of support, FRC has warned the Senate that we will be scoring the vote. You can help by contacting your Senators and urging them to vote against VAWA and end the real abuse of taxpayer dollars,” the email says.

On Monday, the Senate voted 85-8 to take up VAWA, which is expected to pass with bipartisan support sometime this week. The bill expired in September 2011, and repeatedly stalled again last year because of House Republican objections to new provisions that expand protections for same-sex couples, illegal immigrants and Native American women.

The Senate voted 78-22 to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) on Tuesday.

The Senate action now sends the bill to the House. Both the House and Senate passed their own versions during the 112th Congress, but neither chamber took up the other's version.

Several Democratic senators -- including Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) and Sens. Patrick Leahy (Vt.), Patty Murray (Wash.) and Jack Reed (R.I.) -- are urging the House to take up and pass the Senate bill. In addition, 17 Republican House members have written a letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), urging them to bring a bipartisan VAWA bill to the floor. House GOP leadership has been silent on the issue and no House version has yet been introduced.

Leahy, the lead author of the bill, said he is hopeful that this year the House will take up the Senate-passed reauthorization of VAWA.

“This is a good bill,” Leahy said ahead of the vote Tuesday. “It makes needed changes recommended by victims and those who work with them everyday.”

More than 20 Republican senators joined with Democrats to pass the legislation.

The Senate-version of VAWA reauthorization extends protections for victims of domestic violence to Native Americans, LGBT victims and immigrants.

“A victim of sexual assault or domestic violence is a victim,” said Leahy. “A victim is a victim is a victim and violence is violence is violence."

Democrats, including President Obama, said they preferred the Senate bill because it would give tribal authorities jurisdiction over non-Indians in some domestic violence cases on tribal land, but Republicans say that issue has raised questions about possible violations of constitutional rights of U.S. citizens.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) offered an amendment removing the provision on tribal jurisdiction, but it failed on a 31-59 vote Monday. He expressed concern that U.S. citizens living or working on tribal land would be subject to tribal courts if accused of domestic violence or rape and not have the constitutional trial protections.

“Because the Justice Department has not carried out its charge to protect those Native American people … this solution is to trample on the Bill of Rights of every American who is not Native American?” Coburn said ahead of the vote Monday.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) warned that the issue would come up again in the House if that chamber decides to take up a VAWA reauthorization bill.

The Senate bill also prohibits discrimination against LGBT victims in grant programs to help victims, and would let illegal immigrants stay in the country to receive help if they are victims of domestic violence or rape.

VAWA provides grants to victims of domestic violence in order to encourage victims to leave their abusive situations. Some feel they can’t get away from their abusers because they might not have another form of family income, so the grants can provide housing assistance and cellphones for victims. Under this reauthorization bill, these programs would continue for another five years.

Democrats pointed out that since original passage in 1994, domestic violence rates have fallen by more than 50 percent. They also said 1-in-4 women are victims of domestic violence.

The Senate bill, S. 47, added the SAFER Act, which helps law enforcement agencies address the more than 300,000 rape kits backlogged, waiting to be analyzed across the country.

Also on Tuesday, the Senate approved amendments to the VAWA reauthorization bill addressing human trafficking measures.

Leahy’s amendment passed on a 93-5 vote and would reauthorize appropriations for fiscal years 2014 through 2017 for the Trafficking Victims Protection Act to combat human trafficking. Leahy and the amendment’s, cosponsor Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), said the bill includes accountability measures to make sure the funds are being spent wisely and also streamlines programs to help victims.

“We continue to fight human trafficking, and human trafficking is nothing more than modern day slavery,” Leahy said Tuesday. “It is not just a policy matter it is a moral issue.”

Sen. Rob Portman’s (R-Ohio) amendment would ensure that child victims of sex trafficking also have access to grants provided by VAWA, including educational services aimed to protect young victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) cosponsored that amendment, which passed unanimously on a 100-0 vote.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-Alaska) amendment passed by voice-vote and would clarify that in Alaska, Native American tribal jurisdiction would be for the Metla Katla tribe, which is the only tribe with land in the state despite other tribes residing in the state.

The Senate also rejected two other Coburn-amendments on testing convicted rapists for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and consolidating "duplicative" programs within the Department of Justice.